This application claims priority from Thai Patent Application No. 0103000526, filed Sep. 17, 2001.
The present invention relates to a motor vehicle generally known as a pickup or utility having a walled area at the rear for the transport of a cargo. More particularly it relates to a protective liner for the cargo area of the pickup. Within this specification, the cargo area of the pickup is referred to as the pickup bed and the protective liner is referred to as the pickup bed liner.
The pickup bed liner is generally used to protect the pickup bed from damage or scratching to the pickup bed due to the placement or movement of cargo within the pickup bed. A variety of types of pickup bed liner exist in the market.
One type of pick bed liner is provided with an envelope edge which overlies the upper rim of the pickup bed and is secured by screws inserted through the liner into holes drilled in the pickup bed or the rim thereof. While this manner of securing the liner provides a strong installation, certain problems result. In particular, the holes drilled in the pickup bed are points at which the rusting of the pickup bed may commence and such rusting is then able to propagate across the pickup bed. In addition, the heads of the screws securing the liner to the pickup bed along the rim of the pickup bed can obstruct the installation of a roof canopy over the pickup bed. In such installations, water from rain or the washing of the vehicle is able to leak into the covered pickup bed past the heads of the screws. It has been found that the use of sealant in such installations is ineffective because the sealant is not compatible with the material from which the liner is made.
Another type of pickup bed liner is provided with an upper edge similar to that of the liner referred to above which overlies the rim of the pickup bed. In this case, it is not necessary to drill holes in the pickup bed as the liner is secured by fixing apparatus in the form of clamps each operated by a screw which secures the liner to the pickup bed. The fixing apparatus comprises hooks or loops or any similar apparatus of the type designed to secure a cargo by ropes or belts. In this type of liner, the liner is provided with factory drilled holes positioned to coincide with inner edge of the pickup bed in order to insert clamping the apparatus. However, this type of liner also has a problem of water leakage past the junction between the roof canopy and the pickup bed.
Accordingly, the invention resides in a pickup bed liner having a base panel, a pair of opposed side walls, the liner being adapted to be received in the interior of a pickup bed, the side walls having an upper edge receivable between the outer panel of the pickup bed and an inner lip extending from an upper rim of the outer side wall of the pickup bed.
According to a preferred feature of the invention, the height of the upper edge of one side wall from the base panel is greater than height of the upper edge of the other side wall from the base panel.
According to a preferred feature of the invention, each upper edge is provided with one or more cut-outs to facilitate fixing of the upper edge to the inner lip, the depth of the cut-outs enabling the inner lip to be received in the cut-outs.
According to a preferred feature of the invention, the liner further comprises a tailgate liner adapted to be secured to the tailgate.
The invention will be more fully understood in the light of the following description of one specific embodiment.